W San Francisco Review

I had to work in downtown San Francisco a while back for about 6 weeks. My hotel accommodations were fully reimbursed and the cost of each hotel was roughly the same on special negotiated rates, so I took the opportunity to sample the many SPG properties that are in the area. I plan to review the hotels I stayed at in this series.

I generally like W branded hotels. They provide a very different experience compared to the normally dull and bland other options that the Westin, Sheraton, Hyatt, and Hilton offer. The rooms are colorful, it usually sounds like a club in the lobby, and the beds and usually top notch.

The W San Francisco is similar to other Ws with music blaring in the lobby and neon lights. I was traveling on business so it wasn’t exactly the type of scene I wanted to come back to after a long day of work, so that wasn’t exactly a positive for me. If you’re in SF for fun and if music and a club-type atmosphere is your thing, then you’ll love it. The location of the hotel isn’t too bad – it’s close to the St. Regis and Westin Market Street, but just a little further away from the good stuff.

Check-in was easy every time I stayed here but I was never upgraded to a suite even after asking. I couldn’t even get a room with a king-sized bed on most occasions, but that wasn’t a huge deal to me. The hotel is pretty small when we talk about dimensions, but it makes up for it in height. This provides some decent views from the hotel depending on what side you get a room. My room had one with a good view, which should look somewhat familiar if you saw my post on the Westin Market Street.

Entryway to my room.Two W beds – not the room type I wanted but not a big deal.Another view of the beds.The TV and desk were all part of the same piece of furniture.

This room is obviously different from a standard room at most other hotels, but pretty standard for a W. There were two full-size beds, a place to sit by the window, and a TV/desk/closet area in front of the beds. The room was pretty small compared to the rooms I’ve had at all the other SPG hotels in SF.

The beds, as always are some of the most comfortable I’ve had. I generally don’t notice much of a difference from hotel bed to bed, but I really love the ones at the W. The pillows, sheets, and mattress are all great. I hope to get home for home some day!

My view of SF

The view was pretty good, minus some dirty windows. You’ll notice two pictures above that this hotel has shutters instead of a normal curtain. This means that there’s relatively significant amounts of light that shines through in the morning, even when the shutters are closed completely. Something to keep in mind.

One point I’ll bring up here which impacted me significantly: the WiFi speeds. They were horrendous. Abysmal. Flat out bad. The speed was about .39Mbps. I couldn’t get anything done, and even complaints couldn’t solve the problem. Despite me loving W beds, the lack of a reasonable WiFi speed was enough to ensure I never return to this hotel given the other, better SPG options in the area.

Bathroom sink and amenities.Toilet and shower.

The bathroom was small but similar in size to the one at the Westin. There were the usual Bliss-branded amenities. Nothing unusual or spectacular here – but if you’re into nice bathrooms then the one at the St. Regis should be top of your list!

Floor Plan

My earlier point about the hotel being relatively small but tall is illustrated here. This particular room location wasn’t that great – it was close to the elevators and that made for a very noisy morning. The doors and walls seemed very thin and I could hear everything going on outside. Request a room away from the elevators!

So to summarize, the beds were awesome as always, but that’s where the positives ended. Slow WiFi, noisy hallways, shutters that don’t completely block the light, and the relatively less-desirable location make for a lousy combination. Prices here are expensive, and I’d much rather spend my money at the Westin, St. Regis, or Palace hotels with all else being equal.

Read This Next

About Omar Zaman

Omar successfully published the Travel Summary blog for several years and later co-founded TravelCon, a conference on the best ways to earn miles and points. He's redeemed millions of miles and points over the years to fund his passion for travel. Smart credit card signups, thoughtful, strategic spending, and a little knowledge of loyalty programs have enabled him to get to places never thought possible…and get there in luxury, too. He reviews airlines and hotels while teaching you how you to get the most bang for your mile.

Contact

Travel Codex is owned by Travel Codex, LLC. This site is for entertainment purposes only. Articles are of a general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances.

&nbsp

Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. This site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners.

&nbsp

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity mentioned herein. This content has not been approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Join Our Newsletter!

Get one email a week with tips and reviews to help plan your next vacation.